1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suction diffuser; and more particularly, the present invention relates to a suction diffuser for processing a fluid flowing in a process flow pipe.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Known suction diffusers, including that shown in FIG. 1, are devices typically assembled to the inlet, or suction, side of a pump in a fluid handling system to minimize system footprint and optimize flow conditions into the pump, by straightening the flow, improving pump inlet performance parameters, making cross-sectional fluid velocity profile at the suction of the pump more uniform, and removing debris from the fluid flow. Optimized flow conditions improve the operating characteristics of the pump by requiring less power to perform its functions, and overall improving pump-diffuser system efficiency.
FIG. 1 includes one known suction diffuser generally indicated as 5 having a main suction diffuser body 5a with an inlet 5a′, an interior cavity 5a″ and an outlet 5′″, a baffle 5b arranged therein, and an outwardly contoured cover plate 5c coupled to one end of the main suction diffuser body 5a. In operation, incoming fluid Fi passes though the inlet 5a′ into the interior cavity 5a″ and through the baffle 5b, and outgoing fluid Fo is provided from the outlet 5′″.
A problem with currently available suction diffusers is that, upon closer examination of the flow characteristics of the fluid passing through the diffuser and entering the pump, significant conditioning improvements could still be made. The flow paths of currently available suction diffusers contain numerous stagnation and recirculation zones which prevent the flow entering the pump from becoming uniform and creating high pressure head loss across the suction diffuser, which works detrimentally to the pump-suction diffuser system, consistent with that shown FIG. 9a herein.